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BAW: A Round Up

Well, I think I can reasonably call my small part of Breastfeeding Awareness Week a great success!

As well as the wonderful breastfeeding journeys that I was able to share here on the blog, I was able to help raise awareness and offer support to other breastfeeding mums.

Last Monday, I spent four hours in our local shopping centre helping out on a stall to let people know about the amazing breastfeeding support available in our area. We have some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the country round these parts, but in response to this, an amazing support framework has been constructed. So on Monday, I visited several shops in and around the centre, asking for their support for breastfeeding mums – somewhere to sit and feed (not a special area, but simply a chair that it would be OK for them to use), and finding out how many would be willing to have a “breastfeeding welcome here” sticker in the window. We had mixed success, but did get together a nice long list of shops and cafes where Mums are welcome to breastfeed their children, without being expected to buy something. I also posed for photos whilst feeding Plum, which are now being used on literature in our area.

Peer Support Graduation

Later in the week, I attended the Breastfeeding event at Sure Start, where I received my certificate and official Peer Supporter badge, having completed my training. I’ve already started putting this training to good use, through the new early contact system we have in place. New mums are now contacted by a peer supporter within 72 hours of leaving hospital (or giving birth, if a home birth) to find out how feeding is going and whether we can offer support. I really hope this will make a difference to some mums and keep them feeding longer knowing they have support.

Finally, this morning I selected a winner for the nursing bra giveaway. Thank you to all those who entered.